Buildings play a pivotal role in the daily functioning of cities, and the development of smart cities is intricately linked to the sustainable development of architectural practices. However, existing reviews have predominantly concentrated on the development of smart cities, often overlooking the interdisciplinary complexities associated with integrating smart city technologies and sustainable building practices. This study systematically reviews 418 relevant papers from the Web of Science database, employing both quantitative and qualitative analytical methods to assess the current status and future trajectory of the field. Therefore, it bridges a significant gap in the existing literature. The findings underscore the contributions of technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, and big data in enhancing the sustainability of buildings within smart cities. The key areas of focus include energy management, smart building systems, and resource optimisation. Furthermore, the study identifies emerging research themes, such as smart city buildings, smart energy management, and digital twins, highlighting their potential to optimise building performance and foster sustainability within evolving urban systems. The keywords identified in the current body of research are categorised into six main areas: context, objectives, methods, artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and opportunities and challenges. Research themes are seen to progress from “performance” to “building” and “sustainability” and from “city” to “city” and “sustainability”. Notably, themes such as “city”, “modelling”, and “design” have evolved into themes centred around the “Internet”. However, with the rapid expansion of digital technologies, scholars must also address several critical challenges, including data security and privacy protection, the complexity of cross-system data coordination, uncertainties in sustainable optimisation processes, and the ethical and societal implications of technology adoption. To ensure the successful and sustainable development of future urban smart buildings, it is essential to establish rigorous data security standards, harmonise technical protocols, implement effective global strategies, and prioritise ethical considerations. In addition, unmanned technologies and their associated systems offer valuable insights into the sustainability of buildings in smart cities. Finally, this study presents a comprehensive and systematic framework that provides invaluable insights for future strategic planning and technological advancements in the field.

The Chinese pavilion is a poetic architectural form, and whenever a pavilion appears in a modern architectural complex, the spirit of Chinese classical culture is displayed. This study takes seven Chinese pavilions on the campus of Jiangnan University as examples and uses field investigation and architectural phenomenology methods to analyze the architectural features of Chinese pavilions and the poetic experience they bring. This study reached three conclusions. One is that the architectural attributes of Chinese pa-vilions are manifested as the unity of natural scenery and cultural symbols. Its archi-tectural design philosophy reflects the Chinese people's pursuit of natural beauty and noble morality. The second is that the spiritual attributes of Chinese pavilions are man-ifested in the "Fourfold" structure of sky, earth, sages and mortals. Chinese pavilions integrate secular life and life beliefs, providing mortal with a lofty spiritual experience. Thirdly, the Chinese pavilion is not only a standalone building, but also an integrated space that is organically combined with the natural environment. The Chinese pavilion must be surrounded by "three elements" - trees, water and mountains. This is a typical manifestation of the artistic consistency between Chinese landscape painting and Chinese architecture. The results of this study will deepen people's understanding of Chinese pavilions and provide new theoretical perspective for researchers to further study this type of Chinese architecture.